Are They Vanished or Merely Disguised?
It does not do, we all recognize, to harp too much upon any one subject, but, still, the passing of sundry phases of an old order ig never-failingly interesting and one cannot help feeling at the same time that those little bits of a disappearing age, are entitled to a decent recognition of their service and a good send-off on their last journey.
The latest departure to the land of oblivion to whom we must wave farewell is, seemingly, that worthy woman, Aunt Lucy (or maybe Amy or May), who was such a comfort to our mothers in. their younger clys, and who distilled Such quantities of wise advice on the little problems of readers her pages and magazines, Aunt Lucy was"a comfortable, middlester (at any rate, no-one ever heard of her being married) who usually wore pince-nez and was possessed of a wonderful fund of sympathy and common. sense, even if she did love to split her in: finitives: while her interest and enthusiasm over little "affairs of the heart" were marked indeed.
She apparently has now packed up to go, and her place we find, on looking through the Correspond: fence Corners of the Intest copies of her favourite "home and family magazin has been taken' by a cool, bard-headed young woman, named Margaret (or perhaps Isabel, or even Patricia) Whose lack of years in nowise seems to interfere with the depth of her knowledge of life from the affairs of a household to the matrimonial inclinations of likely "boy friends" of her readers.
All of which rather makes us pause and think again. unty Lucy (or "Amy or May), was not the kind of person one would easily suspect of rank duplicity, or indeed, of any Jekyll and Hyde tendoncies,—yet_ what 3 read forces us to suspect her., Aunt Lucy and her' sister aunts" were undoubtedly shrewd women, as may be judged by their letters, and who can prove that they did not fore-ce the modern trend and decide, among themselves, to pander to the younger generation by concealing their wisdom behind the nomme-deplume of Margaret or Isabel or Patricia? Certain it is, that though the "dear old thing" once ved at the head of the Correspondence Page has been replaced by a smart up-to-date fashion-plate young woman, the appeals and their answers have altered exceed-as de! fous" still writes pathetically have been going about with my boy for two years now, and last week he gave me a surprise by suggesting we should be friends only. I am very much in love with him. Do you think he is still in love with me?" And Margaret, Isabel and Patricia, in a manner strangely and suspiciously reminiscent the aunts, write "My dear, I am afraid not," and administer lofty counsel sweetened with a mead of sympathy, Following this the troubles of "Alma" are dealt with: "It was 8 mistake to even suggest to your doy that you should see him again. Leave matters alone now and your patience will surely be rewarded. I should think verbena or violet would make a very nice scent for you, and your friend must be wrong in her opinion."
Not so very different from "he counsel of the aunts.
And to "Awkward Ann"—Just write a perfectly natural friendly ttle letter telling your cousin how glad you are to hear of her engagement. She need. never know there was anything between you and her fiance. And after all you can letter. The one you sent me was very well written and expressed." Extraordinarily Li the ever tactful and understand aunts!
To "Distracted" the new counsellers write: "I should make clean breast of it to you husband. He will see that it was not your fault and will be touched by: his little wife's courage and devotion. Very aunt-like indeed. And. fin ly, even more suspicious, is the reply to the inquiry of ' another "Worried"—""Age does not really matter if you both really love each other. Love should rise above it bat (wise counsel must always stay Love's impetuosity) as well as love there should be unselfishness and consideration on both sides.'
So perhaps, in view of all this, we will not yet awhile make public gesture of thanks a kind farewell to Aunt Amy or May). Certainly it is not easy to suspect such dear spinsters of intentional deceit, but to follow tite aunts' own advice—'"We that never be rash or headlong, but remember that many of our troubles in life are created through thoughtless, foolish words and deed:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.